A noticeable difference between vape research conducted by independent sources (and that from the tobacco industry) is that it tends to be accessible by everybody. The majority of papers produced by tobacco control are inevitably locked away behind a paywall, restricting public access and scrutiny.

Are there any concerns for individual-level health risks — as well as the population-level impact with patches, gums and other 'approved' methods when smokers relapse an average of 30 times and show 93% failure rates for decades? https://t.co/A8B6Vkz9F7

From surveys to videos, this week has been a long and interesting for e-cigarettes and other related news. I appreciate you and your attention to what I deem important and hope you share what you see as important in your circles.

EcigIntelligence Annual U.S. Consumer Survey 2018

It’s survey time for U.S. consumers. Challenges in the United States are far from over. Your voice counts. As a consumer, your data is both necessary and imperative.

I’m still speechless concerning this pyramid / ponzi scheme placed upon smokers, then less smokers, while the public is conned into believing the tobacco companies pay tobacco control to do almost usless “work”.

At 1:16:41 — “e-cigarettes and the like – thus far no pure vape product has been uh.. none of the parties have asserted they are in the MSA – the definition of a tobacco product (MSA) is different than a tobacco product under the FDA act…”

The Master Settlement Agreement is a contract

The Master Settlement Agreement does not expire.

Lock up fundingby ballot measure/constitutional amendment if possible

I’m NOT going to stop asking this question: Can ‘nicotine’ (defined) as “tobacco” become a legal challenge?

If you’re interested, the full video “Where We Stand 20 Years After the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement: Legacy and Loose Ends” is here.

Retired FDA research monkeys find new home and music in Florida

“The monkeys were once involved in a US Food and Drug Administration study intended to investigate the role of various levels of nicotine in the onset of addiction in teens and young adults.”

Good to see FDA researchers are given homes and music… wait a minute..

Required reading:

From his personal Twitter acccount, Dr. Adams creates the same arrogant, mystical… well, I’ll let you delve into the details.

1/16 As the US Surgeon General has now blocked me, I think I ought to explain in more depth what is wrong with two of his recent tweets, apart from the fact the conversation he reports sounds wholly inauthentic. Here are the tweets… pic.twitter.com/K2zruy8DOD

Real People, Real Answers

It’s survey time for U.S. consumers. The largest consumer group in the United States, CASAA, and EcigIntelligence have teamed up once again for you (and all your friends who use e-cigarettes) to take and share the survey. I completed it in approximately 10 minutes.

Data and research are important.

Challenges in the United States are far from over. Your voice counts. As a consumer, your data is both necessary and imperative. Information obtained from surveys can be (and are) used by consumer and trade groups to inform our local, state and national legislators, regulators, media, research, along with public health officials and importantly, other consumers are able to consider making an informed choice to switch to a less harmful alternative.

A word from Alex Clark:

“Once again, CASAA is pleased to share the annual ECig Intelligence consumer survey with our members. As you may remember from previous years, CASAA works cooperatively with ECI to develop survey questions that aid us in our advocacy efforts and help take the pulse of the vaping community.

Your participation in this survey will help inform regulators, advocates, and commentators as we all work to build policies that benefit consumers.”

Honor Among Thieves

The public is convinced tobacco companies pay for the the largest pyramid/ponzi scheme ever created. Smokers pay the ransom to demean themselves – to protect the tobacco companies.

“The major U.S. tobacco companies settled litigation with the states on November 23, 1998, in what is known as the Master Settlement Agreement, which requires the tobacco companies to pay out annually in perpetuity.”

Bozeman shop challenges Gallatin County indoor vaping ban

“The BOH (Board of Health) had essentially pre-voted on its inclusion of electronic nicotine delivery devices, without public comment or any information from parties opposing inclusion under the CIAA enforcement, and well before the BOH meeting.”

Tobacco products promoted on Facebook despite policies

Since the 1970’s, there has been a ban on theadvertising of tobacco. In 1970, President Nixon signed a law called the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act – banning cigarette ads on T. V. and radio – beginning January 2nd of 1971. (Link). To get around it, media runs combustible tobacco images along side ‘anti-tobacco’ groups – and has for years.

Side note: The US Government has been secretly recruiting underage smokers since 1992 at an acceptable “noncompliance rate of no more than 20%“.

On August 8, 2016, the United States legally defined and, on National Tobacco Day, “deemed” nicotine as tobacco. Without a doubt, advertising on social media of e-liquid is both self-promoted and promoted by consumers. The government, media and tobacco control continue to do both.

Because I like to tug on short hairs… I’m surprised the e-cigarette market is still legally able to advertise on social media (with the idiotic nicotine warning). While anarchy and mob rules may apply for some, I wonder – with legal definition – just how long advertising will be -ignored- (also federal tobacco taxes imposed) and how long it will take to try to knock it all down – if they could only do it without emotion.

If Gottlieb was intending swift and STRINGENT ENFORCEMENT – and fines to exceed these – and I mean extreme fines – for selling to minors – for ANY counter sales – vape shops or otherwise, including losing their licences – via the Synar Amendment – changing it to 95% to “qualify for funding’ rather than the EXTREMELY lenient and ‘acceptable’ 80%, I’d almost start respecting efforts similar to these from Dr. Gottlieb.

For something compared as “addictive as cocaine or heroin”, I am VERY disappointed not to find evidence of nicotine gangs, cartels, trafficking, abuse or threats and specifically “epidemics” listed on the just-released “National Drug Threat Assessment”.

Vaping to smoking initiation among US youth and young adults: a reality check

I can’t tell if this got released “too early”, too quick, or dammit, there just isn’t a gateway despite Gottlieb’s determination of creating, nurturing and finally revealing an “epidemic”. Certainly, there is no gateway.

I would like to proudly announce and personally welcome LUNAR ROVER | Premium eLiquid as a sponsor to my blog. They not only produce cocktail and fruit flavors, they also have a range of tobacco flavors ranging from 0-18 strength.

VapinGreek

Speaking of Dimitris, I’m proud to have been honored with the first annual VapinGreek Consumer Advocate Award during the Vape Expo in Las Vegas last week – and was taken by complete surprise when it was presented by one of the very people I admire. (Thank you also to Bill Tarling for telling me to watch it – but not telling me why).

In the vast and varied world of what is the ‘vaping community’, inspiration can come from many. One person I’ve listened to is Dimi on various platforms of advocacy since early 2015. I found a voice within the United States with educated opinions, predictions and warnings of the what was going on in the industry, explaining to consumers (me) what was going ON. I found someone who was “calling out those who attempt to stifle the truth” of something I personally fight for. No holds barred. Affiliations and status don’t matter.

My sincerest thanks to Dimitris for recognizing me in such a way – and creating an award to honor consumers in the future just like me. I’ve met a few of you. There are a lot of us.

Thanks also to Mike Peterson of ‘Vaping and the Mic’ for capturing the video of Dimitris presenting this award here.

Juul – because Juul.

If I were still smoking and it were the first experience to try, it would have worked on throat hit alone. I also understand why Juul attained the lions share of and threaten the “cigalike” market.

Just because ‘you’ don’t like Juul doesn’t mean they don’t work. This is my friends’ son below. I’ve known him his whole life. By his choice, I gave him a Juul a few weeks ago. HIS unsolicited testimony is exactly what shops need to be attentive TO – the smoker trying to make an informed choice.

With Gottlieb’s announcement of “voluntary bans” comes an opportunity.

For brick and mortar shops, by restricting or not carrying consumer choices such as starter kits and only low nicotine strengths with high powered (and complicated to some – think of the help asked for in your groups) mods is restricting an adult consumer choice, pleasure, and possible transition to not smoking…

👉JUST like Gottlieb intends to do.

2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey

All the rage, e-cigarette use “among teens” is up. No surprise. In fact, I predicted it last year. I’m not going to link what you probably already know. Instead, I’ll babble a bit. What did they NOT talk about?

E-cigarettes have cut youth smoking by a gazillion percent from 22.7% to 6.3% in 8 years. No one said a word about actual tobacco use… Yet. Still. These are the “things” they’ll need to backpedal on:

“E-cigarettes lead to – or are a ‘gateway’ to smoking” – incorrect.

“We just don’t know” – incorrect.

“They don’t work” – incorrect.

“Synar Amendment” – intact.

Of course it’s complicated. Smoking rates at historic lows seize future revenues of funding, grants, state & federal budgets, along with “free” patches, gums, lozenges, prescriptions…and so on. And bullying. Who will take over bullying of smokers? “Think of the children™”.

Remember the “gateway theories” with 3X’s or 5X’s or 7X’s “more likely to smoke” claims innundating your lives. None of these teens have succumbed to smoking? None have gone on crime sprees for patches and gums…

I know that JUUL is not trying to screw me over and mess up my research with their social media related "youth prevention" strategies, but JUUL IS CONSTANTLY SCREWING ME OVER AND MESSING UP MY RESEARCH WITH THEIR SOCIA MEDIA RELATED YOUTH PREVENTION STRATEGIES. pic.twitter.com/32ZFf2hhq1

Please visit my proud sponsor

Adolescents have unfavorable opinions of adolescents who use e-cigarettes

In the spirit of the anti-smoking rhetoric, bullying and hate are promotable. “It is important to ensure that adolescents do not formulate “cool” or otherwise desirable images of e-cigarette users, as these images could become established, as occurred with the positive cigarette-smoking prototypes, which took decades of concentrated efforts to dispel…”

Vape shop owner considers suing Gallatin Co. Health Dept.

I have been intrigued by what Deanna and Ron Marshall have allowed us to see so far. The owners of Freedom Vapes in Boseman, Montana have utilized the “Freedom Of Information Act” to find the information we common people wouldn’t normally… see… and we can’t unsee it.

Metal emissions from e-cigarettes: a risk assessment analysis of a recently-published study

Gottlieb has lost his mind and credibility

Future suicides along with 93% failure rates will be the prescribed norm for the well advertised and manufactured epidemic… because NO one in “Public Health” has balls to admit nicotine is not the problem. Of course, this is fully sponsored by Tobacco-Free Kids and endorsed by “Dr.” Gottleib.

The new numbers of the “epidemic” rise in e-cigarette use have yet to be released.

Vaping Isn’t About Big Business—It’s About Us, the Vapers ~ Truth Initiative – Inspiring People to Start Smoking ~ Marlboro maker Altria halts sales of flavored vaping liquid as FDA weighs ban ~ So Altria is going to remove a bunch of their e-vapor products ~ Devices vaporized ~ Australia ~ Those incorrigible kids ~ Why safer vaping devices that don’t explode will not be available in the U.S. ~ FDA Commissioner Wants to Have It Both Ways on Vaping ~ Corruption and the “Freedom Of Information Act”

Devices vaporized

“domestic cigarette shipment volume during the third quarter to the end of September, at 29,698 million, was 3.7 percent down on that of the third quarter of 2017, 30,828 million.” Its discount-brand volume was down by 6.8 percent to 2,614 million.

FDA Commissioner Wants to Have It Both Ways on Vaping

I try to be as accurate as possible, and we all make mistakes. This is a pretty straigh-forward article. However, there is one exception where the author states “groups such as the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, which is funded by big tobacco through the 1998 tobacco settlement” (While (Matt Myers) invented it, they are not directly funded by the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement).

They do depend on “others” and “rely on contributions from individuals, philanthropic foundations, corporations and other non-profit organizations” (indirectly) found at the bottom right here)

Gottlieb: FDA May Ban Flavored Vapes in Convenience Stores

Jim McDonald tells us what we need to know…You can also watch – and question whyDr. Gottlieb heard the word “raid” three times on “Squawk Box” and did NOT correct the interviewee in the video link within.

Applying harm reduction to smoking

From Carrie Wade: “First, public health officials need to acknowledge that e-cigarettes are less risky. Continued mixed messages from government officials and tobacco use prevention organizations confuse people regarding the actual risks from e-cigarettes.”

Oliver Kershaw asks a very important question:

So, assuming this is seriously being considered, one question for @FDATobacco : Will this policy serve to entrench or reduce the overwhelming market advantages of the cigarette? https://t.co/mYdGkvpJr4

Philip Morris

It seems tobacco companies are well ahead of the “experts” in public health. Philip Morris tweeted “Our aim? To stop selling cigarettes as soon as possible because it’s the right thing to do. Our priority? Developing and commercializing better alternatives for smokers” on Friday morning and attached their PDF:

Good or bad, this is the type of thing we *need* to know as consumers and I WANT to see. As an abstract, it sounds scary and can – and probably will be misconstrued, however, storage / handling of e-liquid is important to the consumer. (If I don’t understand it, someone will explain it to me). While I don’t think this is something we don’t already know, finding things -like this- and expecting manufacturers to adhere to standards and if necessary, make improvements.

“The objective of this study was to examine whether flavor aldehydes remain stable in e-cigarette liquids or whether they undergo chemical reactions, forming novel chemical species that may cause harm to the user.”

Distorted Harms | Teen Vaping & Nicotine Use Is “Overblown”

Tobacco User Fees On the Rise in 2019

While GottLIEB claims a reduction in smoking is a “goal…” The FDA expects an INCREASEin revenue…from tobacco… every year. How can you pre-determine revenue? With less smoking? Well, with smokers trying an average of 30 times, and an expected retention of smokers failing to quit 93% of the time…. you simply “raise taxes” to supplement the 7% who’ve actually succeeded. That’s called “job security”. “Think of the children™.”

As an expected casualty of the cost of doing business, add just 5% of teens continuing to smoke… then, since technology is faster than government is, demonize, regulate, restrict, TAX (and ban) e-cigarettes… Oh, and promote “lower nicotine” cigarettes…

Take your time.

Look at it this way… Nicotine patches and gums have a government approved standard of 93% tobacco revenue retention.

My quotes

“Without question, no one markets cigarettes or e-cigarettes more to children than Tobacco Free Kids. No one.”

“The leading cause of funding for tobacco control is taxes derived from smoking.”

“There’s a big difference in a 93% government approved failure rate and pretending people need a “plan” and “help” to quit smoking.”

“#Nicotine “addiction” causes smoking rates to decline to the lowest rates… in history. Take your time.”

“What are the health implications of deceiving smokers by regulating e-cigarettes as “tobacco” products”?

“We’re not idiots. We’re already looking for all we can know about e-cigarettes. Do you know why? We’re tired of everyone being lied to. Because we’re the stakeholder in the equation. You’re not.”

“I’m for whatever works for the informed consumer. Patch, gum, Heat Not Burn, vaping, acupuncture, books, hypnosis, counseling, etc. Do I “like” them all? No. It’s not about or me or are what “I” like. What may work as choice for a consumer is first.”

“Morals are standards set by those who want their standards met by others.”

“To debate a comparison of e-cigarettes to combustible tobacco is gross negligence or voluntary incompetence.”

“….the anti-tobacco lobby is threatened by progress. They’re not used to it.”

“The assertion of nicotine “addiction” by “public health” is profitable and absurd.”

“Oftentimes an expert will make a claim and just assume we will nod our head in agreement because that’s what YOU think we’re supposed to do because you have a title. ——Put that way before you hurt yourself. Let us take a moment to get past that, shall we?”

“When tobacco use decreases, less smoking occurs.”

“The only reason government doesn’t sell #cigarettes directly is to keep you thinking they – don’t.”

“Ecigs are a replacement for tobacco products. They are not a replacement for lost tobacco taxes.”

“Treating the symptom, not the cause – is never an effective outcome.”

“The largest threat to Public Health is an informed consumer.”

“Despite the vast claims “experts” manufacture, we, as individuals, are the experts.”

“Convincing smokers that nicotine is addictive is a multi-billion dollar global lie.”

“I’ll tell you what your government and health organizations won’t about e-cigarettes.”

“Government & those in care & custody of “public health” are lying, to their advantage – of the effectiveness of smoking cessation products.”

Vaping In The News covers media stories on smoking, vaping, snus, heat not burn, e-cigarettes, exposing tobacco control, public health, government, regulations, policies and more worldwide. The post Vaping In The News – January 19th, 2019 appeared first on Vaping Links And More.

Let’s change the conversation about the myths surrounding nicotine and vaping. The government resists ignores the opportunity to correct myths surrounding nicotine, vaping, and snus. Most things shared in mainstream media is full of multi-layered bias. There are difficulties explaining admitting vaping products and nicotine (and snus) are a safer, less harmful alternative to smoking, […]

I invested a bit of thought for the title of this particular blog. It is my intent is to both entertain and educate. With clowns to the left of me, research to the right, on average, I trust I can reach my goal. Normally I spend about two or three hours on any blog. While […]

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